Life-saving sectional steamer.



Y P. THOMPSON.

LIFE SAVING SECTIONAL STEAMER.

APPLICATION FILED APILO, I9I5.

1 a 1 5 1,420, Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

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c @IJ E. THOMPSON.

LIFE SAVING SECTIONAL STEANIER.

v APPLICATION HLED APR.3. 1915.

1,151,420. A Patented Aug. 24,1915.

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Enos '.IHOYMVPsoIv,y or nennen, wris'r VIRGINIA.

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Specicaton of Letters Patent.

. Patented Aug.y 24, 1915.

f AppIicaton filed April 3, 19,15. Serial No. 19,000.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ENOS* THOMPSON, a citizen of the i United States', residing at Radnor', in the county of Vayne and vState of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .ini LifeSaving Sectional Steamersmf whichfthe following is specification, reference being had thereinI to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to aflife-savingsectional steamer and has for' its principal "object the production of a detachably carried lifesaving steamer which is Aadapted to move from the disabled ship or boat `r`which supports the same'as the ship sinks,whereby the life-saving steamer may movesafely away without the loss of life usually in-v curred by the sinking of' ships.

Another object of this invention is the production of a life-saving steamer or'boat which is detachably carried upon the upper deck of the main ship, whereby, when the main ship sinks the life-saving steamer may move down a trackway so as to be directed upon the surface of the water, so as to float independently of the main ship.

Another object of "this invention is the production of a simple and' efficient supporting meansfor the life-saving steamerthis means being so formed as tonormally` support the life-saving steamer in suclrafmanner as to allow the samek to be released and .moved from the upper-deck of the main ship when necessary.A f n Vith these and other objects in view, this invention-consists of certain novel-combinations, constructions, and arrangementsy of parts as will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed. f Y D g fkIn the accompanying drawings :-`-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention,-show ing theV same carried upon the upper deck of a ship. Fig.` 2 is a fragmentaiyjtop plan view of the upper deckof a ship, showing the supporting *elementsl and guide elements used in carryingthe life steamer. ,Figf 3 is a transverse section through the life steamer, showing the same carried upon lthe. vupper deck of the ship. ,Fig` is a fragmentary sectional view through the auxiliary steamer or life ship,lshowing the same mounted in position upon the f upper deck 'of a ship. Fig. 5 is a transverse fragmentary sectional view of the supporting elements for the life ship. Fig. 6 is a transversesectional view of oneof the supporting brackets, showing the rollers carried thereby. Fig. 'l'k is a frage mentary sectional view of one end of one of open space 6 .isy provided within whichthe rails 7 are supported by means of thescrews orother securing members 8. The rails? are carriedadjacent the side portions ofthe life steamery or boat 3 and extend longitudinally throughout itsentire lengthfas shown in Fig. t.

Brackets 9 are positioned upon `the upper deck 1 of the ship 2 as clearly shown in y Figs. 2 and 3 so as to be lsecured in parallel spaced relation.V Thesefbrackets -9 are substantially U-shaped in cross section and have the stub axles 10 extending therethrough so as to vbe supportedy by the sides of the brackets. Uponeachstub aXle 410 there is carried a roller 11 having `an enlarged flange 12l formed'v upon one sidethereof. The

screws' or other securing members 13 ypass,

through the-.lower portions ofthe .brackets 9, as shownin Fig: V2, for xedly retaining the brackets in their correct positions upon the deck 1. The life steamer or boat iis adapted to be normally carriedgupon the upper deck f1 of the ship 2 so as toallow the rails 7 to rest upon the rollers 11.

Ttwill be noted by referring particularly to Fig.` i that the rollers adjacentrthe -forf ward endof the brackets 9 are journaled in a higher plane than the rollersvat the rear endqof the "brackets 9, thereby kforming an inclined; planewhich kwill cause the rear end of thelife ship or Iboat Sito be tilted so that upon being released, it will automatically ride upon the rollers 11 soas to move from the upper deck of the ship 2. A plurality of 'integralparallel ears 14 extend from the side portions of the brackets 9 for the purpose of carrying the vertical shafts 15 upon which the bearing rollers 16 are rotatably mounted. yThese ears 14CA extend yfrom the inner sidesof thel brackets 9 soas toallow the bearing rollers l16 to engagethe outer side surfaces of the connecting supports ,17

which connect the licor 5 with the inwardly eXtending'portions i yof the life steamer 3. By this constructiony it will be seen thatias Y the life steamer or boat 8 movestoward the stern of the ship 2, the bearing rollers 16 will hold this steamer 3 against lateral or side movement and therefore will prevent the life steamerfrom accidentallyfalling or moving over the side portions fofth'e ship 2. Itv is of course obvious however, that the bearing rollersl will allow the life steamer Sto/easily move thereoverasthe same is ytheship 2."

being removed from the upperrdeck'l of 'l lL-"shaped guard 19 is carried adjacent the 'outer side portions of each bracket 9 and these guards arel securedby lmeans of the screws 20. It willbe seen that the upper endvof the guards 19 engage the outer side surfaces of the life steamer 3 at a distance above the openl portionsy 6." In this manner, any foreign object, is prevented from accidentally lodging Vunder the open portions 6 l i and'preventingY the efficient operation of the bearing rollers 16 orthe supporting vrollers In this manner the supporting members will always be retainedin any operative po` sition without danger of interference from foreign objects. e

l .When-'the life ship'is in its normal positionA uponthe upperdeck ofthe ship 2, it will be retained against accidental displacement by any suitable coupling, such for instance asY the overlapping bars yherein disclosed at 21, through'which the retaining pins 22 maybe detachably passed forcoupling the life steamer. ory boat uponfthe upper portion `1l of the ship 2.7 This life i steamer is adapted to be provided with all the :conveniences of the main ship. [Therefore, y there is'provided the engine room 23 for the" purpose of inclosing jany suitable engine to `which the'motor power can be supplied. This'engine'of the life steamer v isadapted to furnish power lfor generating the 'f electricity v used ffor illuminating the main ship.- Therefore, whenthe main ship y isvsinkiirg, although the engine'room and the which assistancel enginethereof may be flooded, the engine in vthe life; steamer will be runningY and theree y from engagement with each other. This op- Yeration takes iplace at; the time the sea ireachesY the level of the-upper'de'ck' l;

Owingto the fact'that the rollers 11 are carried at inclined planes lwithin the brackets 9, the life steamer '3, as herein set forth, 1s carried atan angle so as to ride gently over the upper deck 1 of the vessel 2 over the rollers 11 and vbetween the bearing or guiding rollers 16, so as to rest upon the surfaceof the sea. The'motor power for the life ship will of course be furnishedbythe engine lthereof whereby vthe life steamer may readily and quicklybe driven from the 4immediate vicinity ofthe main -vessel ory ship 2 whereby upon the complete sinking of the main vessel the vortex thereofwill not 'draw the life steamer` 3 down therewith.

From the foregoing'description it will. be seen that a yvery simple and eflicient life steamerhas been produced which is: nor"` mally carrieduponftheupperdeck of the main'steamer orship but. which4 may. be

released, vupon the sinking of the main ship,

whereby theY life steamer will be eiiciently guided from the main ship over the stern thereof by means of the simple and e `cient supporting and guiding elementsfused in connection therewith.

l/Vhat I claim is f 1. In a device of the class described the combination of a ship, a life steamer carried Vupon the upper portions of said ship, said vlife steamer provided with inwardly extending portions adjacentitsv lower portions, Y said inwardly extending portions being formed at a spaced distance above the bottom of saidlife steamer, L-shaped guards fXedlycarried upon the upper portions of said ship in parallel spaced relation, said guards extending upwardly so as to inclose the open portions' of saidlife steamer, and means carried upon rthe-"ups p er portion of said ship and withinthe open portions of said life steamer for sup-y porting vthe life steamer in a detachable position, 'said means being adapted to allow 110 the life steamer to move yupon'theupper portions of said ship, said 'guards being adapted to "protect ysaid means for'preventing the same `from becoming inoperative vby the lodgingof foreign objects within said open portions.' v v 2. Ina device of the classy described, the n combination of a ,ship having an upper deck, a life steamer ypositioned uponythe upper portion of said ship, longitudinal brackets Xedly carried upon said upperdeck, supportingV rollers carried'by said longitudinal brackets, supporting rails Vfixedly car#Y ried upon the lower portions of said life steamer and normally bearing upon f said supporting rollers, said rollers being carried in a slantingplane so as to hold said life steamer in -a tilted position, and means for normally retainingv thev lifev steamer against accidental displacement, said means being adapted to be'released upon `the sinking of the ship, whereby the life steamer will ride over said supporting rollers and into the sea.

3. In a device of the class described, the

`combination of a ship having an upper deck,

a life steamer positioned upon the upper portion of said ship, longitudinal brackets iXedly carried upon said upper deck, supporting rollers carried by said longitudinal brackets, supporting rails fiXedly carried upon the lower portions of said life steamer and normally bearing upon said supporting rollers, said rollers being carried in a slanting plane so as to hold said life steamer in a tilted position, means for normally retaining the life steamer against accidental displacement, said means being adapted to be released upon the sinking of the ship, whereby the life steamer will ride over said supporting rollers and into the sea, and means carried upon said deck for guarding said supporting rollers and rails, thereby preventing a foreign objectr from engaging these elements and rendering the same inoperative.

4L. In a device of the class described, the combination ci a main ship having an upper deck, U-shaped brackets iXedly carried upon said upper deck, supporting rollers carried within said brackets and provided with'enlarged ianges upon a plurality of their side portions, said rollers being set in a slanting plane within said brackets, ears extending from the side portions of said` brackets toward the central portions of said deck, guide rollers carried yby said ears, a

-life steamer positioned above saiddeck, said life steamer provided with a plurality of f thev surface of the sea,` said life steamer being adapted to engage said guide rollers whereby the life steamer will be positively prevented from accidentally moving over the side portions of the ship when the same is released.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ENOS THOMPSON.

Witnesses ALONZO FRY, E. L. PERRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

